The town's animal shelter is trying to keep up with a mushrooming hamster population that's gone from 28 rescues on March 11 to nearly 40 hamsters as of today, due to several of the rescued hamsters giving birth. All of the hamsters need adoption. Any interested individuals or families are encouraged to contact the shelter to learn more.

Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter Director Laura Selvaggio Burban said the facility, which serves Branford, North Branford and Northford, has been fielding contributions of cages, food and bedding to help care for the hamsters. But the most important assistance community members can render is to consider adopting one of these little critters.

The first wave of hamsters arrived at the shelter in a box brought in by a person who said he found it on the side of the road in Branford's Short Beach area, said Burban.

"A man came walking into the shelter with a box that he said he found at a stop sign in Short Beach," said Burban. "He said the box was moving, so he went to look inside, and he found 28 hamsters! Some of the hamsters were pregnant and have started giving birth, so we are nearing 40 hamsters now. We need help finding them all homes."

Although it's an unusually high number of hamsters to handle all at once, it's not unusual to find a hamster or two among the animals waiting for forever homes at the no-kill municipal shelter. In addition to taking in cats and dogs and kittens and puppies, the shelter has rescued just about every type of popular pet -- from bunnies to turtles to guinea pigs. The shelter even recently found a home for a chinchilla, "Mabel," who was adopted on March 17.

Cosgrove Animal Shelter is located in Branford at 749 East Main St. and can be contacted by calling (203) 315-4125. For more information, including hours of operation, visit www.branfordanimalshelter.org